


Helpless

by impalaloompa



Category: Deadpool - All Media Types, Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mild Blood and Gore, mild depictions of violence, peter and wade established relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-17
Updated: 2016-04-17
Packaged: 2018-06-02 19:32:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6579526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/impalaloompa/pseuds/impalaloompa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“No,” Wade couldn’t breathe, “no no NO!”<br/>He leaped forwards, catching Peter as his knees gave way and sank to the floor cradling Spider-Man to his chest.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Adrenaline sparked through his veins. His head was clear. His mind focused. The excitement, the thrill, buzzing in his gut. This is what he was good at. Katana an extension of one arm, gun held comfortable and firmly in the other. Never fatal blows though. Not anymore. Even though the urge was still there, he controlled it. He was a reserve Avenger now thanks to Spider-Man, and he wasn’t about to blow it.

He was hyper-aware of the others fighting around him. Captain America, Iron-Man, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Falcon and Scarlet Witch.

Spider-Man was just behind him, fighting back to back, falling into the same rhythm they always found as if they had been fighting together for years. In actual fact it had only been about eleven months but the way they moved fluidly together, without words, always knowing where the other would be, the perfect team. It sent swells of love and pride tingling through his chest.

“Hey Spidey,” he called over his shoulder, “is the plural of Ninja ‘Ninjas’? Or is it just Ninja? Are we fighting Ninja or Ninjas?”

Peter gave a half-hearted groan at Wade’s ill-timed small talk and propelled a Ninja into another using his webs.

“Why is it always Ninja…Ninjas…Whatever!” Wade kicked a black clad man square in the chest and sent him flying in Captain America’s direction. The soldier promptly knocked the Ninja out with a quick flick of his shield.

“I mean, it’s always Ninjas. Ninjas? Ninjas. It’s always Ninjas. Ninjas or robots. It’s all so clichéd. Seriously. Why can’t the bad guys mix it up a little?” Wade ducked as Peter swung a Ninja over his head then threw a right hook at another that was trying to stick a knife into Peter’s side.

“Rude!” Wade yelled at him.

“Do you ever shut up?” Stark shouted over the chaos.

“Not usually, no,” Wade chirped back.

“Oh, I know a few ways to shut you up,” Peter nudged him with a lewd wink.

Wade was glad that his blush couldn’t be seen through his mask. Peter chuckled and launched another string of webbing at an advancing Ninja. He shook himself and was about to throw himself into the fray when a loud shot rang out.

Spider-Man snapped his attention back to Wade.

“Wasn’t me,” Wade held his hands up defensively.

“Deadpool behind you,” Hawkeye yelled.

Wade spun round, shoulder brushing with Peter’s as they stared down the new threat.

A tall, bulky Ninja with swords strapped to his back, eyes just visible through the mask of black, holding a rifle, strode into the battle.

“Ninjas with guns. Okay, that’s new,” Wade felt Peter twitch beside him and he didn’t have to be told to duck as a bullet went whizzing over his head. Over the past months, Wade and Peter had been training and patrolling closely together and Wade was almost as in tuned with Peter’s Spidey-sense as Peter was. 

Peter and Wade shared a look behind masked eyes and together they ran at the oncoming wave of black assassins.

Wade tried to keep tabs on the gunman but it was becoming increasingly difficult as the injure piled up and he had to focus on avoiding falling over them.

Panic suddenly tightened his chest when he lost sight of Peter but a second later the web-slinger was back by his side. They took out their enemy quickly and efficiently, exchanging quips and banter as they brought down their targets. Wade let the motions of the fight fill his senses. The heat, the stench of blood, the cries of pain, losing himself in the thrill. 

He fired a stream of shots at a line of oncoming enemies, mowing them down. Knee cap, shoulder, thigh, shoulder. Each bullet precise and accurately hitting their marks, aimed without thinking, the most natural thing in the world to Wade.

Then another booming shot rang out and Wade grunted as the bullet plugged into his chest. A second shot and Wade yelped as the bullet thudded into his shoulder and shattered bone. A third shot in the stomach brought him to his knees. In his haze of pain, Wade was dimly aware of Peter’s shout. He tried to tell Peter that he was okay when a fourth shot rang out and Wade blanched, expecting another burst of pain, but it didn’t come.

He was still for a moment, watching Black Widow take the shooter out in the most badass way possible, then he coughed and choked, lifted his mask to his nose and spat out a mouthful of blood and a bullet.

The skin, the flesh around his wounds burned hot as the bullets were pushed from his body, tink tink onto the concrete ground and his healing factor knitted the holes back together. He could feel the bone in his shoulder fixing itself. It felt like intense pins-and-needles. He shook himself, adjusted his mask and sprang to his feet.

“Well, fuck me,” he grumbled, “I came out to have a good time and I’m honestly feeling so attacked right now.”

Wade paused, half a grin twitching his lips, preparing his comeback to Peter’s smartass snarky comment about his obsessive love for memes. But it didn’t come.

“Spidey?” he turned to look at his boyfriend and froze in horror, a cold dread pitting his stomach.

“Wade,” Peter’s voice was barely a whisper. He was clutching his left side just below the ribs as blood dripped through his fingers and seeped into his costume. 

“No,” Wade couldn’t breathe, “no no NO!”

He leaped forwards, catching Peter as his knees gave way and sank to the floor cradling Spider-Man to his chest.

His brain was numb and he couldn’t think. The only thing he could focus on was the life spilling out of the man he loved and pooling in a glistening puddle on the ground. He forced his arms to work and he clamped a firm hand over the wound, hoping the pressure would staunch the flow of blood.

Peter groaned, head lolling against Wade’s shoulder.

“Stay with me. Just stay with me,” Wade pleaded. He could feel himself shaking. The fear and the panic crushing his chest.

“HELP ME,” he shrieked, “SOMEONE HELP ME. PLEASE.”


	2. Chapter 2

The Medical Bay in the Avengers Tower was an entire floor consisting of a small waiting room, five patient rooms, two doctors and nurses’ stations, an ICU and a surgical theatre. It smelled like a hospital and it set Wade’s teeth on edge.

He was perched on one of the soft chairs in the waiting room, head in his hands, too exhausted to do much else.

His stomach was churning with worry and his heart panged with fear. His head hurt. He felt numb and in agony at the same time. There was nothing he could do and he had never felt so helpless.

The light from the window was fading, leaving him with the too bright artificial light streaming from the fittings in the ceiling. He wasn’t sure how long he had been there. It felt like days. Just waiting. Waiting for something, anything, to let him know what was going on.

He snapped his head up as he heard the door open but let it fall down again when he saw Stark. The man had been coming in and out of the waiting room on an almost regular rotation. He never said anything. Just sat down in one of the chairs, grim expression masking his face, absently flicked through one of the magazines strewn across the table, got up and paced for a bit, then left the room again. Wade had lost count of how many times he did this. 

He stared at what he was sure was a coffee stain on the carpet just by the leg of his chair. He decided that it was odd seeing as how the rest of the Avengers Tower was squeaky clean, especially the Med Bay. Maybe it had just been missed. Maybe it was a deliberate ‘fuck you not everything is perfect.’ That was sure as hell. 

He felt hollow, as if nothing of himself was left. As if someone had scooped out something important. 

He kneaded his temples with his knuckles, the quiet of the lonely waiting room becoming too much to bare. He was about to stand up when the door opened again and a doctor, closely followed by Steve came in.

Wade was on his feet in an instant, too afraid to demand answers.

Steve looked sombre. His usual strong posture had wilted and he looked tired and defeated. 

The doctor had a neutral expression and Wade began to fear the worst. The silence drew on and Wade couldn’t take it.

“Someone just fucking talk,” he snapped.

The doctor jumped but Steve flashed him a sympathetic look. The doctor opened his mouth but Steve rested a hand on his shoulder.

“I’ll tell him,” the soldier blinked. The doctor nodded.

“Why don’t we sit down Wade,” Steve suggested, indicating to the chairs.

“You fucking sit down,” Wade spat, “Just fucking tell me. Tell me about Peter.”

Steve sighed deeply as if trying to draw strength from the air.

“He’s stable. For now. The bullet went deep but the surgery went well and they were able to remove it. He’s lost a lot of blood. He’s not out of the woods yet. If he makes it through the night, he’ll be okay,” Steve bit his bottom lip.

“If he…makes it through the…the night?” Wade whimpered. 

“I’m sorry Wade but there’s nothing else we can do for him now,” Steve reached out to place a hand on his shoulder but Wade flinched away.

His heart was pounding in his chest, his mind reeling, his legs threatened to give way underneath him.

“What about my blood? It can heal him,” he said as the sudden thought filled him with hope.

“We can’t,” the doctor took a step forwards, “Believe me, it’s something we discussed but there is no possible way to give Peter your blood without giving him your cancer as well.”

Wade had to choke back the wail that had been building in his chest. 

“I’m afraid Peter has to fight this on his own but he’s young and strong. He can pull through this,” Steve’s voice was optimistic, his eyes were not.

Don’t give up on him yet, Wade wanted to scream.

“Can I…Can I see him?” he asked timidly.

Steve glanced at the doctor who nodded.

The doctor led them out of the waiting room and down the corridor. He stopped at the door to one of the patient rooms. Wade couldn’t bring himself to look through the window. Not yet.

“Wade?” concern and sympathy tainted every word the soldier uttered. 

Wade had to steel himself before trying to answer but another thought pinged in his mind.

“Oh my god,” he spluttered, “His Aunt. Has anyone told Peter’s Aunt?”

He couldn’t bear the thought of the sweet old lady seeing her nephew like this. He couldn’t bear the thought of her grief if Peter actually died. Fear and panic gripped his chest again and he was struggling to breath.

“Wade calm down,” Steve’s firm grasp on his arm was oddly soothing, “We’ve taken care of it, okay? We told May Parker that Peter had an accident in the lab and that our doctors are taking care of him. I really hope that’s all we have to tell her,” he added with a grimace.

Wade sucked in lungfuls of air as he tried to steady his erratic breathing. 

The doctor opened the door to the patient room and waited for Wade to go in first. Wade chewed his lip then went into the room. He gasped when he saw Peter. His Peter.

Peter looked so small and vulnerable and helpless lying on the hospital bed with a breathing mask over his nose and mouth, and IV drip hanging above his head and the steady beeping of the heart monitor masking any noise he might make.

Wade approached slowly, entire body trembling, chest tight, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. He sat on the edge of the bed and stroked a gloved finger gently down Peter’s pale cheek. Peter didn’t stir and Wade felt tears pricking at his eyes.

“Talk to him,” the doctor chide, “He may not be able to hear you but if he can, it’ll help to know you are with him.”

“We’ll leave you two alone,” Steve left as did the doctor and as soon as the door was closed, Wade tore off his mask and threw it into the corner of the room.

The tears he had been holding back spilled down his face and his body shook with each sobbing breath.

“Oh, Baby Boy,” Wade cried, twining his fingers with Peter’s, “I’m here. Please don’t leave me. I can’t lose you. I can’t lose you too.”

He buried his face in his hand and wept.  
***  
Wade woke with a jolt.

It took him a moment work out where he was but the beep beep of the heart monitor quickly reminded him.

He glanced at the window. The sky outside was still pitch black. He rubbed his scarred face in his hands then rose out of the chair he had slumped into.

He perched himself on the edge of Peter’s bed again and laced his fingers with Peter’s again, hoping for the reassuring warmth, the gentle squeeze, but Peter’s hand was cold and limp and the painful tightness of his chest forced a small sob from him.

Wade let his gaze travel over his boyfriend’s face. He imagined the way his warm smile caused dimples to form in his cheeks. He imagined the way his hazel eyes sparkled with laughter and love. He imagined the way his skin would turn rosy as he kissed him. 

He tightened his grip on Peter’s hand and tried to control the bout of tears that threatened to escape him.

He shuffled slightly so that his lower back was pressed against Peter’s hip and he turned his head so he could watch the steady rise and fall of Peter’s chest.

“Do you remember,” Wade rasped, “That day in the park? We were just walking and I told you that I loved you for the first time? Remember how I promised you that I would always be there for you? And you promised that you’d never leave me? Well,” Wade’s voice broke, “Don’t you dare break that promise, okay? Because I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

His tears were coming thick and fast, rolling down his cheeks and splashing onto his red and black uniform.

“You made me a better man. A man I can actually stand to be. And I don’t know who I’d be without you anymore,” he choked, “I love you Peter. I love how you never finish a carton of milk before buying a new one. I love how you cheat at card games. I love the way you run your fingers through your hair. I love that little jerk you do with your arms when you laugh,” he was struggling to force the words out between sobs but he had to tell Peter, had to make him understand how much he cared for him, how much he loved him.

The thought of losing Peter weighed heavy in his heart and he bent double, pressing his face to his knees as he cried.

There came a sudden run of beeping from the heart monitor and then it flat lined.

Wade froze in horror, staring at the line, willing it to zig zag again.

Three doctor’s bustled into the room with a crash cart and someone gripped tightly onto his shoulders, dragging him from Peter’s side.

His heart pounded in his chest as he fought the iron grip, desperate to stay with Peter.

He was hauled out of the room and back down the corridor to the waiting room.

Wade screamed and thrashed until he was exhausted and he slumped against the body holding him, wrapped tightly in a strong embrace and wept uncontrollably into the muscled shoulder.

Steve just held him. Not talking. Not giving Wade false hope. Just held him as he cried until he could cry no more.

Wade was led to a chair and he sank down into it, shudders passing through his body with every breath. He was dimly aware of the other Avengers in the room but paid them no attention as he finally faced the reality that he might actually lose Peter. 

The sudden realisation that he may never see the light in those eyes again, may never feel his touch or hear his laugh, may never taste his kiss, had Wade curling up on his chair, making him feel empty and cold and as sleep pulled at him, he was sure he felt his heart break.


	3. Chapter 3

Something was prodding him in the ribs. It hurt and he was getting rather annoyed. He garbled something at his abuser and tried to let darkness engulf him again.

“Wade!” the loud voice accompanied by a rough shake had him blinking his eyes rapidly and struggling to sit up.

He glared at Hawkeye, rubbing the sleep from his bleary eyes.

He was suddenly aware of the daylight spilling through the window. He sat bolt upright, that feeling of hurt and despair pitting his stomach again.

“Come on, man,” Barton tugged at him.

Wade was confused. Why was the guy grinning? This was no time for grinning. If he had the strength, he would have punched that stupid grin off that stupid face.

“Deadpool,” Barton whined, “It’s Peter. He’s awake!”

“W-what?” Wade spluttered.

“He’s awake. He’s oaky,” Hawkeye beamed.

Wade couldn’t get up fast enough. The threw himself down the corridor and skidded to a halt in front of Steve and Tony.

“He’s fine. After the doctors saved him last night, his recovery was unbelievable. They reckon his healing factor kicked in. Not as strong as yours mind you but it saved his life,” Steve smiled. Wade could hardly process the information.

“He’s asking for you,” Stark said kindly. It was odd coming from him seeing as he usually regarded Wade with hostility and suspicion. But the circumstances were different and Wade welcomed the positive attention.

The Avengers stood aside and Wade stumbled into Peter’s room.

Peter was propped up with pillows. He was still pale but his eyes were bright and a smiled played on his soft lips.

Wade just stood, staring. All the distress and worry and panic and fear gone, replaced with overwhelming relief and a giddy happiness that threatened to turn his legs to jelly.

“Peter,” he whispered, forcing himself to move.

He reached the bed and practically threw himself onto Peter, wrapping his arms tightly around him, burying his face in Peter’s shoulder.

As he felt Peter’s arms snake around him, he let out a desperate sob.

“I thought you’d left me. I thought I’d lost you. I was so scared,” he cried into Peter’s shoulder.

“Shh,” Peter hummed, “I’m still here. I’ve got you.” 

Love for his boyfriend thrummed in his heart. The fact that he was here and alive and hugging him was just too much. The knot in his stomach had finally released and the emotional strain he was finally free of left him feeling bone weary and exhausted.

Wade choked back more tears and pulled away so that he could gaze at Peter’s eyes. 

“Don’t ever do that to me again,” his voice quivered with emotion.

Peter closed his eyes and cupped Wade’s cheek, drawing him closer until their foreheads touched. They stayed like that for a while, close and together. Wade felt peaceful and happy and he smiled a proper ear to ear smile.

Peter’s shallow breaths were warm on his scarred cheek and Wade surged forwards to capture Peter’s lips with his own. He whimpered into the kiss, revelling in the way Peter’s mouth felt against his, the warmth and the sweet taste. 

Peter broke the kiss first, thumb brushing Wade’s cheek gently.

Wade found Peter’s other hand and tucked his fingers securely into it. Peter gave his hand a quick squeeze and Wade let his head rest against Peter’s chest. Peter curled an arm around him, keeping him close.

He hummed in his chest and Wade let the vibrations roll through him. He pressed his ear to Peter’s sternum and let his eyes flutter shut as he listened to the strong thump thump of Peter’s heart.

“Wade?” Peter said. Wade shifted slightly to let Peter know he was listening to him.

“Little jerk I do with my arms when I laugh?”

“Shit, you could hear me?” Wade scrambled to sit up, embarrassment reddening his face.

“Every word,” Peter chuckled.

Wade screwed his face up in a grimace and Peter pressed a firm kiss to his chapped lips.

“You know,” Peter mumbled into his mouth, “We are being watched.”

Wade turned to look at the window by the door. All of the Avengers, including Banner, were huddled by the glass, with awkward smiles plastered to their faces.

Peter laughed heartily then winced as the stiches in his side tugged.

The Avengers filed into the room, crowding the place.They all asked Peter how he was doing and offered their words of encouragement.

Wade sat back slightly, letting the noise wash over him. He had come so close to losing the man he loved and as he watched Peter now, surrounded by friends who cared for him and who had worried for him, he promised himself that he would never let anything like that happen again. 

He knew what Peter would say. That the job of Spider-Man will always carry great risk but Wade knew, he knew with all his heart that he would never face losing Peter again. He never wanted to feel so lost and scared and helpless again and if he had his way, he never would.


End file.
